Roping trainer comprising a roping object movable over a pair of parallel spaced tracks forming a closed loop



Oct. 22, 1968 .1. R. TISDELL ETAL 3,406,969 RQPING TRAINER COMPRISING A ROPING OBJECT MOVABLE OVER A PAIR OF PARALLEL SPACED TRACKS FORMING A CLOSED LOOP Filed Aug. 24, 1966 INVENTORJ BY m 0.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,406,969 ROPING TRAINER COMPRISING A ROPING OB- JECT MOVABLE OVER A PAIR OF PARALLEL SPACED TRACKS FORMING A CLOSED LOOP James R. Tisdell, Rte. 1, Box 66, Hempstead, Tex. 77445, and Monroe W. Lawson, Prairie View, Tex. (3815 Botany Lane, Houston, Tex. 77047) Filed Aug. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 574,645 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a Roping Trainer.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for training calf ropers, and the like, in the art of roping a pursued animal.

It is another object of the invention to provide an amusement device for simultaing riding a horse while pursuing and roping a calf.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts more particularly defined in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially in cross section, and

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional end view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a supporting member, such as a Wheeled trailer, or a box-like platform, on which a mechanically animated horse, 2, such as are commonly found as coin operated amusement devices, is mounted. Directly in front of the horse 2 is the endless chain 3 which is mounted over the sprockets 4, 5 which in turn are mounted on the axles 6, 7 which are supported by suitable bearings as 8, 8 mounted on the supporting member 1, and which are adapted to be rotated.

A pair of continuous tracks 9, 9 are mounted on the supporting member 1 by suitable laterally connected support standards 10, 10. The connecting standards are spaced apart and are suflicient in number to provide the desired rigidity to the tracks 9, 9.

An object to be roped, as the calf 11, is mounted on the tracks 9, 9 by means of a pair of upper and lower rollers 12, 13 which are mounted on the bracket 14, which in turn is secured to the bottom of the roping object such as the calf 11. The bracket 14 is substantially U-shaped, so that an upper and lower roller will embrace each track 9, 9. The tracks 9, 9 are positioned to locate the chain 3 midway between them longitudinally. A draw means, such as the chain 15 is anchored at one end to the bracket 14 and at the other end to the endless chain 3.

Adjacent one end of the tracks 9, 9 the axle 6 supports the sprocket 4 and maintains the axis of the sprocket 4 at a higher plane than the axis of the sprocket 5, and on one end of the axle 6 is a driving wheel 16, which may be driven by the motor 17, or the axle -6 may be rotated by a hand crank as 18. A belt 19 connects the motor 17 with the driven wheel 16, and sufficient slack is maintained in the belt 19 to permit the wheel 16 to readily slip when backward pressure is brought to bear on the roping object.

In use, a rider mounts the horse 2 with a rope held in his hands in the manner desired for roping a moving object, such as a calf. The horse is started into motion in the usual manner, and the motor 17 is strated, or the hand crank 18 is employed, to rotate the sprocket 4 and 3,406,969 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 "ice ' drive the chain 3, moving the roping object over the tracks 9, 9. As the roping object travels over the tracks 9, 9 it will rise up in front of the horse 2, and move away from said horse at a preselected speed, and at the expiration of a preselected time, the roping object will disappear from view of the rider, thus offering training in determination of speed of the moving object, coordinating the rope cast with the movement of the horse, judging the distance of the throw and practicing throwing accuracy. If the rider succeeds in roping the moving object 11, backward pressure exerted on the object 11, as by pulling on the rope, will cause the belt 19 to slip around the driving wheel 16 until the motor 17 may be deactivated, or the cranking action stopped.

The device hereinbefore described may be mounted on a platform or a wheeled vehicle, such as a trailer, for ready transportation to the various places of use, and, if desired, may be suitably decorated to simulate a corral, or the like, and the lowermost end of the cycle of the chain 3 may be surrounded by a simulated pen (not shown) which the calf will appear to enter at the end of its run.

While the foregoing is believed to be a preferred form of the invention, it is by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a roping trainer, a supporting member, a pair of spaced parallel tracks mounted on said member, each of said tracks forming an endless loop, an object simulating in shape a known roping target, means for moving said roping object on said tracks at a preselected speed, and animated means capable of supporting a human rider adjacent one end of and in longitudinal alignment with said tracks.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein the means for moving said roping object consists of an endless chain rotatably mounted between said tracks having means for securing the roping object to said chain.

3. The device defined in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the roping object consists of a pair of rotating sprockets mounted between said tracks, an endless chain mounted on said sprockets, one of said sprockets having means for rotating same at a preselected speed.

4. The device defined in claim 1 wherein the roping object moves between said tracks and is supported on said tracks by a pair of wheels extending laterally from each side of said roping object.

5. The device defined in claim 1 wherein means are provided to stop movement of said roping object upon exertion of backward pressure thereon.

6. The device defined in claim 1 wherein the supporting member consists of a platform and the longitudinal plane of said tracks in parallel with and extends above and below said platform.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,554,211 5/1951 Pogreba. 2,819,900 1/1958 Brackett 273-1 3,324,832 6/1967 McCain 46122 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROPING TRAINER, A SUPPORTING MEMBER, A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL TRACKS MOUNTED ON SAID MEMBER, EACH OF SAID TRACKS FORMING AN ENDLESS LOOP, AN OBJECT SIMULATING IN SHAPE A KNOWN ROPING TARGET, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ROPING OBJECT ON SAID TRACKS AT A PRESELECTED SPEED, AND ANIMATED MEANS CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING A HUMAN RIDER ADJACENT ONE END OF AND IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID TRACKS. 